Liberia: UN refugee agency saddened by killing of two aid workers

The United Nations lead refugee agency today expressed extreme sadness at the killing in Liberia of two humanitarian workers.

Three workers of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) were on their way to a Norwegian-funded ADRA project in the highly volatile border region of Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire. They were reported missing after being caught-up in last week's rebel attack on Toe Town.

ADRA said the bodies of Emmanuel Sharpolu, the country director, and Musa Kita, the driver, were found near Toe. There were no details on the whereabouts of Kaare Lund of ADRA Norway.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also remains extremely concerned about the fate of some 2,500 Ivoirian refugees and other West Africans who had been staying in its Toe Town transit centre but scattered into the surrounding forest in the wake of the attack.

The UN agency said eyewitnesses reported seeing groups of people being marched towards the border by retreating attackers over the weekend. Over the past few days, some of the transit centre residents have reached Zwedru, walking 80 kilometres to the south of Toe Town.